The Bachelor of Business Administration is a project-based degree completion program specifically designed for non-traditional students who have completed an Associate's Degree (A.A. or A.S.) and wish to complete a Bachelor's degree at a later point in life. The program is designed to offer far more flexibility for the working professional than traditional programs. The program is:

Project-Based: a student completes a total of 5 project sequences designed and sequenced specifically to measure student learning and accomplishment. Projects are designed to reflect real-world business applications and processes. Each project sequence is designed to be completed within one semester, meaning that the program can be completed in five semesters (approximately 18 months).

Low-Residency: a student combines his or her professional experience and abilities with learning experiences and resources delivered via the Internet to master program competencies. A student attends a two-day orientation and two-day on-campus residencies once during each of the 5 project sequences. Projects are then completed in times that fit into the student's personal and professional life, making the program very convenient for the working professional.

Faculty Coached: a student works directly with a Westminster College faculty member on an individual basis to provide project guidance and feedback. Faculty members also evaluate completed student projects to determine whether or not project learning is sufficiently demonstrated.

Students completing all program and college requirements earn a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from Westminster College.

Program Goals

A student completes the program by demonstrating mastery of the following program goals and related competencies:

Communication skills: a student effectively communicates business concepts orally and in writing to faculty and business stakeholders.

Ethical decision making skills: a student understands various ethical perspectives and utilizes ethical and legal framework for decision-making.

Leadership and collaboration skills: a student demonstrates how individuals and groups contribute to valued organizational outcomes.

Strategic perspective: a student demonstrates the cultural, legal, economic and geo-political forces that impact business strategies within national and international contexts.

Organizational performance: a student analyzes and uses accounting and financial information to articulate organizational performance for various stakeholders.

Market execution: a student identifies and understands markets for an organization's goods and services, applies the activities which make up the value chain for those goods and services, and employs appropriate methodologies and techniques for ensuring product/service quality and speed to market.

Admissions & Financial Aid

A student is admitted to the program on a rolling basis, with new cohorts beginning the program in August, January, and May of each year.

Admission to the Bachelor of Business Administration requires the submission of the following materials to the Office of Admissions for admissions evaluation:

A completed application with a $40 application fee.

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, providing evidence of an associate degree (A.A. or A.S.) from a regionally accredited college or university or international college or university. Students with 64 or more credit hours and a Letter of General Education Completion from a regionally accredited Utah college or university will also be considered.

Résumé detailing 5 or more years of relevant work experience. Relevant work experience can be paid employment, volunteer work for non-profit organizations, military service, or combinations of the above; the résumé should demonstrate increasing responsibility in work-related experience.

One reference letter, typed on letterhead from a supervisor, manager, professor, or other professional source.

Responses to essay questions.

In certain cases an interview with an admissions representative may be required prior to admissions. When the application materials are complete, the application is reviewed by a committee and decisions are reported to the student. The application process can be completed online by visiting the admissions website.

A student entering the program is given the equivalent of 64 credit hours for an associate's degree (A.A. or A.S.).

In certain cases, a student may be allowed entry into the program and to begin working on project sequences even though they have not yet completed their associate degree. Such allowances are made only in rare cases, and only when the student is within 2 classes of completing the associate degree program. A written request for permission must be submitted to the program chair for approval. When such allowance is made, the courses must be completed by the time the student has completed the second project sequence (at the end of the second semester). If the student has not completed the associate degree at that point, he or she will be required to finish all remaining associate degree requirements before starting project sequence 3.

Program Costs

The cost of the entire program is fixed as long as the student is making academic progress. The tuition price includes all learning resources and fees. Students with extenuating circumstances can adjust their pace when necessary by communicating with the program staff. Students who decide to withdraw from the program entirely must notify their Program Assistant immediately.

Satisfactory Progress Policy

A student is required to maintain satisfactory progress in the program in order to receive Title IV federal financial aid funds.

Financial Aid

A student enrolled in this program is eligible for federal financial aid programs as described in the financial aid section of this catalog. A student is not eligible for institutional aid programs. To be eligible for federal financial aid, a student must maintain enrollment and satisfactory progress as described. A student can also elect to participate in alternative loan programs as long as eligibility requirements are met. Please contact your Program Assistant for specific information about financial aid.

Degree Requirements

The Projects

The program consists of 5 project sequences which must be completed at Westminster College. Each of the project sequences consists of several small sub-projects and an integrative project. The projects are to be completed in the order specified. A student completes all projects to demonstrate mastery of the program learning goals and objectives. Before starting a project sequence, a student meets with his or her Coach to assess which learning experiences should be used to help the student complete the projects, given the student's prior life and/or professional experience. The student is given a set of rubrics, which explain precisely how the project will be evaluated upon its completion. A student can use this rubric to self-assess the project before submission. When a project sequence is successfully completed, the student can begin the next project sequence.

Faculty Interaction

To help students in the program, dedicated faculty members (Coaches) are specifically assigned to assist in learning and in learning assessment. Students and faculty interact regularly on an individual basis to effect learning. Each project sequence has a faculty Coach who assists the student in learning experiences and in project completion and evaluation. Each student also has access to Program Assistants to assist with registration, billing, financial aid, project submission, technology systems, and any other questions about the program. A student is encouraged to utilize these resources whenever needed throughout the duration of the program.

Grading/Assessment Systems

When a student has completed a project, work is submitted to the faculty Coach for evaluation according to the established project rubrics. A student is given one of three assessments for each of the competencies related to the sub-project and for the overall project: Exceeds project standards, Meets project standards, or Does Not Meet project standards. In all cases, the student is given substantial feedback on project performance. In the case that an assessment of "Does Not Meet project standards" is given, the student is allowed to use additional learning experiences and resubmit the work for additional evaluation. A student can submit their work a maximum of three times for evaluation.

Residencies

Each project sequence includes a required two-day on-campus residency period. The residency consists of workshops, seminars, and simulations specifically designed to offer learning opportunities related to each project sequence. Residencies are scheduled once a semester. Please consult the program website for specific information on residency schedules.

Learning Experiences

Learning experiences are provided to help the student master the knowledge related to specific competencies and learning goals as they relate to specific projects. All of the learning experiences can be accessed from the program website. A student is not required to complete any specific set of learning experiences. Learning experiences augment a student's knowledge and can be engaged on an as-needed basis by the student. A student is strongly encouraged to consult with his or her Coach as they are working on projects to figure out which sets of learning experiences are most useful, given the student's background and experience. All learning experiences can be accessed by all students—even if a student is completing a later project, that student can refer back to learning experiences from other projects to help recall specific techniques and knowledge.

Program Policies

Academic Progress

A student can complete the requirements of the program within five semesters. A student who, for whatever reason, does not enroll for two consecutive terms must request reinstatement in the program, and will be subject to the tuition charges currently in effect. While students may allocate their semester to meet their personal and professional commitments, each project sequence must be completed within a semester. If, at the end of the semester, the project sequence is not completed, satisfactory progress requirements will not have been met, and may jeopardize financial aid eligibility for subsequent semesters. Staying in constant contact with the program assistant and project coach helps avoid problems.

Students unable to complete a project sequence within a semester, and who therefore require an additional semester to complete the project are charged a $500 continuing registration fee, which is not part of the overall program price. The continuing registration fee allows the student to remain an active Westminster student with full access to Coaches and learning resources while continuing to work on the projects. The fee will continue to be charged each semester for the full number of semesters it takes a student to complete a project sequence.

In such cases, when the student does complete the project and is ready to move to the next project sequence, he or she will have to wait until the next scheduled residency at the beginning of the next semester. Because this will extend the length of time it takes for the student to complete the program, students are strongly encouraged to use the best planning techniques possible to insure they complete projects within a single semester.

If a student, because of personal and professional life commitments, needs to take a semester off, they can do so by fully communicating this need to his or her Program Assistant. If students take two full semesters off without actively communicating with their Program Assistant, they may be removed from the program and require reapplication to begin again.

Academic Suspension

A student who, for whatever reason, is unable to demonstrate mastery of the competencies of a particular project sequence after two full attempts will be asked to meet with their Coach. The Coach will work with the student to develop a realistic plan to identify those barriers that inhibit the student's successful performance. This plan will then be engaged and the student will be given one additional attempt at completion. If the student is still unable to complete the project, the student may be suspended from the program.

A student who is suspended from the program may reapply for admission after two terms. A personal interview will be required before readmission is allowed, and, if readmitted, the student will be able to reenter the program at the current year's tuition rate. The student will work with his or her Coach to develop a specific progress plan. As long as the student fulfills the terms of the performance plan, the student will be allowed to complete remaining program requirements.

Academic Standards

Faculty members in the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business have developed the following academic standards to support the mission and goals of this program. The goals are presented here to help the student understand responsibilities as a student throughout the program.

A student should always be familiar with project requirements and assignment guidelines. The student should take every opportunity to consult with his or her coach and mentors to receive clarification when needed.

Collaboration is encouraged to enhance depth of learning; all submitted work must be the original work of the student.

A student should always be respectful of faculty, staff, and other students in the program.

The program is designed to be intellectually challenging, real-world oriented, and ability building. Students should push themselves, using every opportunity to participate and learn and get the most from the Westminster experience.

Plagiarism is a serious offense in academic and business settings. Plagiarism is a violation of the college's academic policy. Click here for further information on Academic Honesty. A student who violates the academic honesty policy may be suspended from the program.

Graduation Requirements

A candidate for graduation must consult their Program Assistant at the beginning of Sequence 3. The Program Assistant will assist the student in completion of the application for graduation for the next graduation period in the following December or May, or August, depending on the actual date of application. To be eligible for graduation, a student must satisfy the following conditions:

Have a completed associate degree (AA or AS), or its equivalent from a regionally accredited university

Complete 124 credit hours

Complete each project sequence successfully with a minimum evaluation of "Meets project standards"

A student should consult either the assigned Coach or the Program Assistant at any point when questions arise about graduation requirements.